A Good Scare
by SmileCauseItsWorthIt
Summary: Ponyboy needs to have a surgery. But it's just a standard procedure, right? What could possibly go wrong? one-shot.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Darry and Ponyboy had just walked in the door after Pony's doctor's appointment. They were once again having one of their infamous fights. Not that they had been happening as often lately, but it was a fight just the same. It was fair to say that Sodapop didn't like the sound of it, even if their opinions were on different sides of the spectrum. Soda decided it was time to intervene.

"So, what happened at the doctor's?" he asked innocently.

"Dr. Shkoder said that Ponyboy needs his tonsils out," before Darry could say anything else, Pony butt in.

"But I refuse for someone to cut my throat open," Pony shouted, his voice cracking just to show that he really wasn't fine.

"They don't cut your throat; they go in through your mouth. Weren't you listening?" Darry said, starting the fight up again and forgetting that Soda was still sitting there on the couch.

"Well, I don't want them to go anywhere near me with a knife!"

"You won't even be awake!"

"Exactly, something could go wrong with anesthesia!"

"That won't happen!" Darry said. And before Pony could fight back again he said, "Look you need to have it done. You've been having sore throats all year and you can't even talk anymore without your voice cracking. And I can hear you snoring when I get up in the morning! The appointment is tomorrow and that's that.""

And before Soda could try to stop them from fighting again, Pony mumbled an angry 'fine' and stalked towards their bedroom. Soda could get the gist of what happened through their argument, so there was no need to ask Darry. But Soda couldn't help but wonder who was right. Was it a standard procedure like Darry said or a huge risk like Pony said? But he just had to trust that Darry was right. He wouldn't let anyone do anything that would hurt Pony, right? They couldn't live without him.

What Sodapop didn't know was that Darry was leery about letting Pony have surgery. He was just covering it up with a façade. But what the doctor said goes. Darry just hoped everything went okay and without a problem. Anyway, what were the odds that something went wrong?

XXX

Darry, Soda, Steve, and Two-Bit all sat in the waiting room whilst Pony was in the OR. Steve was bored out of his mind and thinking of all the better things he could be doing. He couldn't believe Soda had hoodwinked him into this. Where were those cute nurses he promised?

Two-Bit was bored. Not nearly as bored as Steve, he was so bored he looked angry. Two-Bit just wished he was someplace else. Hospitals made him depressed, but he had to be there for the kid. After all, Pony was like his little brother.

Soda was worried. Surely Pony should be out by now. What if something went wrong? What if they can't wake him up? What if he's dead?! These thoughts plagued his mind until he made up his mind to take a walk to the bathroom and back. Maybe that would calm him down some.

Darry's thoughts weren't entirely different from Soda's, even if they weren't as unlikely. He was worried about Pony, as anyone would be when someone you loved was in surgery, no matter how simple the procedure. Out of the corner of his eye, Darry saw Soda get up and head towards the bathrooms. _Probably to burn off some of that nervous energy,_ he thought.Before he could pursue it any farther, a nurse came through the doors. Being that they were the only people in this waiting room, she made her way over to their party.

"Mr. Curtis?" she asked softly, as if she didn't want to disturb the uneasy silence. But even her quiet voice sounded loud in the sterile environment.

"That's me," Darry said as he stood. The nurse beckoned him slightly away from the group, as if they couldn't hear from a few yards away.

"Mr. Curtis, does Ponyboy have any allergies or conditions you may have neglected to tell us about?" she said. The questioned confused him. Why would it matter if he had left something out- which he was certain he didn't."

"No, why?" Darry asked nervously. He tried to hide his emotions behind his mask of indifference, but he knew he wasn't succeeding.

"Well, we're having trouble waking him up," she said hesitantly.

"Wh-what?" Darry said in a higher than normal voice. He reached over and gripped the chair next to him to support himself. Two-Bit and Steve rushed over and started asking him what was wrong.

"He should be up by now and his blood pressure has dropped below a certain point…" the nurse stated calmly. Before any of them could say something else, they heard a sharp intake of breathe and the closing of a door. They all looked towards the waiting room door and saw Soda's rapidly retreating figure through the window.

"Oh boy," Steve mumbled. He knew Soda had overheard everything, and now he had to be devastated. As Steve went to go after him, he couldn't help but think _what if the kid never wakes up? _ Even though Ponyboy wasn't his favorite person in the world, Steve couldn't stand losing him. And he knew no one else could either.

Sodapop wandered aimlessly through the hospital's monotonous corridors. He was having trouble wrapping his mind around what he had just heard. Pony wasn't waking up and there was nothing he could do about it. He had always been there to comfort Ponyboy, no matter what. And without knowing it, Pony had been comforting him too. Now who would be there for him? What would happen to them? Soda couldn't bear the thought of losing someone else he cared about. _Which one of us will be next?_ He thought. Suddenly he heard footsteps behind him. Sodapop glanced over his shoulder and saw Steve coming towards him. Tears began to swim in his eyes. The sight of his best friend had brought him back to reality. Something in him snapped and he started bawling. The truth hit him hard.

Steve walked over to Soda and saw tears streaming down his face. He wasn't surprised to see this at all. He threw a comforting arm around Soda's shoulders and murmured, "It's going to be okay. You'll see. Just don't give up hope."

Steve somehow knew that if Soda gave up hope, all hope would be lost. Under Steve's arm, Soda's body was racking his barley compressed sobs. He nodded his head to Steve's statement. He had to be strong. Not just for himself, but for Pony and everyone around him. Together they would get through this. It would be hard, but they would. Pony wasn't dead yet. Together the two best friends worked their way back to the waiting room in companionable silence.

For once in his life, Tow-Bit had absolutely nothing to say. No smart remark, no witty comment, nothing. It was as if his mind just shut down while his mind absorbed this information. The gang may have just lost another member. But it felt like more than that. More like a family losing another loved one. They were all a band of brothers, and the youngest of them all may never be back. Never again to laugh or smile, never again to run around a track, never again to draw a picture or read a book, never again to horse around with his brothers (all four of them that were left), never again to watch a sunset. So many things he won't be able to do again. Two-Bit sighed in sadness. He couldn't believe they might be losing another person long before their time.

Darry was shocked. There had to be something he could do to help. He had to take charge and get his baby brother back. But deep down he knew there was nothing he could do. He had no medical training and his muscles would do him any good. Darry hated feeling helpless; too bad that's almost all he was feeling now. But he was also feeling fear. Fear of Pony never waking up, fear of burying another family member, fear of losing him forever; but most of all, fear of never telling Pony that he loved him. The last thing Darry wanted to remember Pony by was fighting about him having the surgery that ultimately ended his life. As hard as he tried, Darry could help the tears that were springing in his eyes.

Soda and Steve came back into the room. Soda was trying to control his sobbing while Steve was leading him. But if you were looking closely enough, you'd see that tears were gathering at the corners of his eyes. They walked over to Darry and Two-Bit. All four of them looked at each other. Before anyone could say anything, a doctor walked into the room. Five heads swiveled towards him- one being the nurse and the other for being the gang. Darry stepped forward.

"Darrel Curtis?" the black-haired man asked.

"Yes, what's going on with my brother," Darry said hurriedly.

"I'm sorry for the scare," he started out. "Ponyboy is fine; he's waking up now and his blood pressure is returning to normal. These things happen sometimes. You may see him now if you like."

They all looked at each other. All that worrying for nothing. It was a waste of energy. But all four men were thinking the same thing: _Thank God_.

"We would like that just fine!" Darry said happily. The relief was evident in his voice.

It's funny what can happen in just two minutes.

XXX

**Well, just thought I'd write a little something to get me back in the swing of things! Hope you liked it! Some things are taken for granted. It just goes to show that you can lose someone in an instant. **


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